Pet Game OwnerBanned

Cameron is suggesting cutting housing benefit for the under 25s and that everyone 25 and under should go back to living with their parents, because this will save the country Â£2 billion a year.

In all honesty I am starting to regret voting for Cameron/Conservatives cause he made all these promises how he's going to save us from the recession etc but also support people from my age group.

First he allowed Unis to put the prices up to the maxium, which is why I'm gonna be paying that off until 2016, and I started it in 2010. So 6 years I'm gonna be paying for that.

And now he's suggesting cutting the benefit for under 25s, which again affects me because I'm 22 and I'm on the housing benefit. Because I don't have a job, I am unable to pay the housing benefit so the Harrogate Borough Council pays my rent for me, and then what I do get from the UK equivalent of Social Security, I use that to pay my bills; Uni fees, Internet, Phones, Gas, Leccy. And then I put some into my savings account, some goes for food, some goes into Ikkumon and the rest goes into what I call the 'emergency stash' which is there if I desperately need it.

And then when I get a job (which is also why I moved to where I am now) because I get 'Social Security', Housing Benefit will still pay about 75% of my rent.

If Housing Benefit didn't pay my rent at all, I would be able to still pay the rent. BUT I wouldn't have any money for my bills or for food and the whole Ikkumon project would slow right down to a stand-still in production. So yeah I need it.

VPL SupporterVPL Member

I know everyone here in the U.S. is being hit pretty hard by the recession. Millions of people have lost their homes, unemployment is through the roof and the government just wants us to pay more taxes. It's really frustrating but if the governments can balance their budgets it'll be a lot easier to get out of these recessions.

VPL Member

I know everyone here in the U.S. is being hit pretty hard by the recession. Millions of people have lost their homes, unemployment is through the roof and the government just wants us to pay more taxes. It's really frustrating but if the governments can balance their budgets it'll be a lot easier to get out of these recessions.

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You really need to adopt a progressive tax system, it's crazy how little the rich in the US pay in taxes. But onto my country, we're going to collapse any day now, only 12% of the population pays taxes and are supporting the 1 in 3 who are on welfare, ridiculous. Personally, I think only tax payers should have the right to vote...just saying. Lol, but that'd force the ANC to fall apart at the seams, tax corruption of their elite is the norm...-.-

VPL SupporterVPL Member

You really need to adopt a progressive tax system, it's crazy how little the rich in the US pay in taxes. But onto my country, we're going to collapse any day now, only 12% of the population pays taxes and are supporting the 1 in 3 who are on welfare, ridiculous. Personally, I think only tax payers should have the right to vote...just saying. Lol, but that'd force the ANC to fall apart at the seams, tax corruption of their elite is the norm...-.-

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We have a progressive tax system, but tax loopholes lower it substantially.

The taxpayers thing you just said would pretty much guarantee Republicans to own the USA. Not that republicans are bad, but we need balance.

VPL SupporterVPL Member

You really need to adopt a progressive tax system, it's crazy how little the rich in the US pay in taxes. But onto my country, we're going to collapse any day now, only 12% of the population pays taxes and are supporting the 1 in 3 who are on welfare, ridiculous. Personally, I think only tax payers should have the right to vote...just saying. Lol, but that'd force the ANC to fall apart at the seams, tax corruption of their elite is the norm...-.-

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Most still pay quite a bit in Taxes. And a VERY HIGH majority get breaks because they donate a lot of money to charities and the like. Anywho, I very much like that idea of if you don't pay taxes you don't vote.

I know someone indicated an idea for a system to help people get off welfare or unemployment. Unenployment or welfare benefits come out of your social security, and while you're on those you also have to attend job training sessions. I'm all for that XD

Approved VPL ArtistVPL Member

David Cameron is a thick idiot. why the hell is he a PM?
If he wasnt so mentally stupid, he would crack down on people scamming the benefit systems, instead of targeting those who need the benefits for fundings such as bills/ university.
I swear, I want to hit him with a baseball bat.

VPL Member

Most still pay quite a bit in Taxes. And a VERY HIGH majority get breaks because they donate a lot of money to charities and the like. Anywho, I very much like that idea of if you don't pay taxes you don't vote.

I know someone indicated an idea for a system to help people get off welfare or unemployment. Unenployment or welfare benefits come out of your social security, and while you're on those you also have to attend job training sessions. I'm all for that XD

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Social security? Uhm, not sure what that is, but that doesn't help them if they can't find a job because there are no jobs, xD.

VPL SupporterVPL Member

Social security? Uhm, not sure what that is, but that doesn't help them if they can't find a job because there are no jobs, xD.

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There are jobs, just not where people want to work(ya know, like McDonalds?) but social security is taken out of every paycheck you have when you work. Then when you turn 65 you get SS payments, I'm not sure if they're based on how much you earned though. Anyway, someone suggested they just take the unemployment stuff out of the SS instead of just giving people free money.

VPL Member

There are jobs, just not where people want to work(ya know, like McDonalds?) but social security is taken out of every paycheck you have when you work. Then when you turn 65 you get SS payments, I'm not sure if they're based on how much you earned though. Anyway, someone suggested they just take the unemployment stuff out of the SS instead of just giving people free money.

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I'm pro-welfare system, I just think governments should work to provide jobs people want, not take money from their retirement funds, that's wrong.

ModeratorVPL SupporterPet Game OwnerApproved VPL ArtistVPL Member

You really need to adopt a progressive tax system, it's crazy how little the rich in the US pay in taxes. But onto my country, we're going to collapse any day now, only 12% of the population pays taxes and are supporting the 1 in 3 who are on welfare, ridiculous. Personally, I think only tax payers should have the right to vote...just saying. Lol, but that'd force the ANC to fall apart at the seams, tax corruption of their elite is the norm...-.-

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What if you stop putting the blame on the rich and have the poor do their fair share of their work, hm?

My uncle earns more than a million dollars each year but pays 30+% of tax (based on what he said a while ago). Because of this he left the states to work in another country, where the taxes are much lower. On the contrary, the poor aren't doing as much work as the rich are. You want to get out of your social class? Put effort into your work, make better choices, and be proactive. Sitting around being envious of the rich doesn't do anything.

And I'll just clear it right now that I live in a low-income family, father unemployed, mother with a part time job, and sister with a minimum wage part time job trying to pay off her post secondary debts. And yes, my uncle is rich, earns a whole lot more money than us, but there's no reason to blame everything on the rich. He came from a poor family living in a village that gave everything into helping my uncle go to a prestigious university. My father sacrificed a promising future to work to raise money for his family and his brother. It's irrevelant and plain ignorance. Stop playing the blame game.

Feel free to ignore my post but yours irked me so I had to respond. As this isn't really related to the original post, I'm fine if this gets ignored.

I'm pro-welfare system, I just think governments should work to provide jobs people want, not take money from their retirement funds, that's wrong.

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I think that governments should work to provide adequate training opportunities for people, not the jobs themselves. Sometimes people need to suck up their pride (so to speak) and do what they can with what they have. I do agree though that money shouldn't be taken from their retirement funds, that's just ridiculous.

VPL Member

What if you stop putting the blame on the rich and have the poor do their fair share of their work, hm?

My uncle earns more than a million dollars each year but pays 30+% of tax (based on what he said a while ago). Because of this he left the states to work in another country, where the taxes are much lower. On the contrary, the poor aren't doing as much work as the rich are. You want to get out of your social class? Put effort into your work, make better choices, and be proactive. Sitting around being envious of the rich doesn't do anything.

And I'll just clear it right now that I live in a low-income family, father unemployed, mother with a part time job, and sister with a minimum wage part time job trying to pay off her post secondary debts. And yes, my uncle is rich, earns a whole lot more money than us, but there's no reason to blame everything on the rich. He came from a poor family living in a village that gave everything into helping my uncle go to a prestigious university. My father sacrificed a promising future to work to raise money for his family and his brother. It's irrevelant and plain ignorance. Stop playing the blame game.

Feel free to ignore my post but yours irked me so I had to respond. As this isn't really related to the original post, I'm fine if this gets ignored.

I think that governments should work to provide adequate training opportunities for people, not the jobs themselves. Sometimes people need to suck up their pride (so to speak) and do what they can with what they have. I do agree though that money shouldn't be taken from their retirement funds, that's just ridiculous.

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Excuse me? I'm not poor, I'm extremely well off relative to my country and relative to even your country, so please, spare me the, "your so lazy, that's why people are poor." People are poor not because of laziness but because the rich have more and more than the poor, income inequality is growing, the average CEO makes what the average worker makes in a year in a couple hours, that's so wrong, Mitt Romney paid 16% taxes last year on his $50 million income, while a teacher making $40,000 paid 25% in taxes, that's so wrong. The rich have more, so they should pay more. I'm glad my mom is taxed more the woman who cleans our house, we have more to give and it's not like we aren't living comfortably paying 60% taxes on our income over R1.000.000. And personally, I hope I never have to experience poverty but I still want to help others get out of poverty, it's an awful thing to not have what you need and it's disgusting that it happens when there's plenty to go around. There's enough money in South Africa for all South Africans to live well, it's so unequal here, most people live in shacks barely livable in the country and farm for barely enough to live and everyone else lives it up in the city with so much, it's wrong. To give you an idea, 10% of South Africans control 90% of our nation's wealth and income! That's not fair, the poor here work more for so much less, and it's time for this to stop. If wanting to share is bad, I suppose I'm evil.

Administrator

Social security? Uhm, not sure what that is, but that doesn't help them if they can't find a job because there are no jobs, xD.

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It helps those people who are "disabled" and can't work, and its for those who are retired. It's very retarded to even think about removing that system from America. They're plenty of people on food stamps because A) they need it b) They can't live on their own and need government assistance. I'm not saying that the system doesn't get abused, but a lot of people can't work because of A) crimes B) no skills C) they'd rather not. D) Companies aren't hiring.
@Neon Your uncle reminds me of my dad. He came from a poor country(Cape verde islands) and came to America at the age of 19. He's been working since that age and doesn't show any signs of slowing down. He almost lost our house a few years ago, but he managed to get a new loan and kept the house. In all honestly, I respect my dad for all he's done, and I'm glad he didn't lose the house. It was really a tough time for our family as well because they're 7 siblings, and about 11-12 people living in our house - which means a lot of the bills are high.

Also, on the subject of social security, my mom is on it, I'm on it, and my brother is on it because of our heath conditions. Is it enough to get us by? Yes, and if I never worked before, my SSD wouldn't be as high as it is. When I worked before, I was bringing home about $2k a month after taxes. It is not right to try to abolish things that have been keeping America going on.

If you're talking about the housing benefits - it should be lowered because there's so many people losing houses like @Avalanche stated. The government should allow "Home buyers" to have more time before re'poing their house. It's hard for families to cope with such a lost because A) they have to downgrade to an apartment and people have to sleep on the floor. B) Kids don't eat enough because their parents can't afford food.

So, thus who's to blame for the economy busting? The United States government and the fact that "good jobs" have been moving from the states to overseas - thus, creating a bubble in the economy.

Excuse me? I'm not poor, I'm extremely well off relative to my country and relative to even your country, so please, spare me the, "your so lazy, that's why people are poor." People are poor not because of laziness but because the rich have more and more than the poor, income inequality is growing, the average CEO makes what the average worker makes in a year in a couple hours, that's so wrong, Mitt Romney paid 16% taxes last year on his $50 million income, while a teacher making $40,000 paid 25% in taxes, that's so wrong. The rich have more, so they should pay more. I'm glad my mom is taxed more the woman who cleans our house, we have more to give and it's not like we aren't living comfortably paying 60% taxes on our income over R1.000.000. And personally, I hope I never have to experience poverty but I still want to help others get out of poverty, it's an awful thing to not have what you need and it's disgusting that it happens when there's plenty to go around. There's enough money in South Africa for all South Africans to live well, it's so unequal here, most people live in shacks barely livable in the country and farm for barely enough to live and everyone else lives it up in the city with so much, it's wrong. To give you an idea, 10% of South Africans control 90% of our nation's wealth and income! That's not fair, the poor here work more for so much less, and it's time for this to stop. If wanting to share is bad, I suppose I'm evil.

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Who cares about Mitt Romney? As a governor, he has shipped a ton of jobs oversears to save money. How is that helping the US economy?

People in Africa also suffer from poor living conditions. I know that because in order to take a trip to Africa, you'll need to get a shot from your doctor so you don't catch one of the diseases they have out there. And also, how do you think Africans are suffering? Some of their family members from the states send money over there, and clothes. In all honestly, what has been keeping South Africa economy's alive and pumping? What kind of jobs do they have? What type of government assistance programs do they have?

And personally, I hope I never have to experience poverty but I still want to help others get out of poverty, it's an awful thing to not have what you need and it's disgusting that it happens when there's plenty to go around. There's

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I have grown up in poverty, and people rob, steal, hustle their way to survive. If poverty wasn't much of an issue, you wouldn't have so many drug dealers, and drug abusers.

You want to help people get out of poor conditions? Invest some money into new programs that help "students" and "parents" in those areas. It's really hard living in the projects - especially when you dream of owning a home one day. Section-8 housing helps those poorer folks get an "apartment" and everything else. Without it, a lot of people would be homeless as well.

Pet Game OwnerBanned

@Lion That made me LOL for real.
@tldr Social Security is what they call it in the USA. In the UK it is called Disability Living Allowance (DLA).
@Avalanche Where I moved to, I moved here to get a job in McDonalds, and I am still trying (after a month) to get a job there. McDonalds is my dream job, and I am 6min walk away from it, THAT is living the dream.

A mate of mine wrote on facebook, something how Jimmy Carr has signed some contract where he is going to make Â£3 million. After taxes he will have Â£3 million. Which is true (as far as I know for this country -England- anyway) why don't the rich and famous pay taxes? I don't think I pay taxes but thats cause I'm disabled I get auto-help with that.

Going back to what @Lion said (I think it was him anyway) they should be sniffing out the people on benefits who are like abusing the system. See loads of them on Jeremy Kyle.

ModeratorVPL SupporterPet Game OwnerApproved VPL ArtistVPL Member

Excuse me? I'm not poor, I'm extremely well off relative to my country and relative to even your country, so please, spare me the, "your so lazy, that's why people are poor." People are poor not because of laziness but because the rich have more and more than the poor, income inequality is growing, the average CEO makes what the average worker makes in a year in a couple hours, that's so wrong, Mitt Romney paid 16% taxes last year on his $50 million income, while a teacher making $40,000 paid 25% in taxes, that's so wrong. The rich have more, so they should pay more. I'm glad my mom is taxed more the woman who cleans our house, we have more to give and it's not like we aren't living comfortably paying 60% taxes on our income over R1.000.000. And personally, I hope I never have to experience poverty but I still want to help others get out of poverty, it's an awful thing to not have what you need and it's disgusting that it happens when there's plenty to go around. There's enough money in South Africa for all South Africans to live well, it's so unequal here, most people live in shacks barely livable in the country and farm for barely enough to live and everyone else lives it up in the city with so much, it's wrong. To give you an idea, 10% of South Africans control 90% of our nation's wealth and income! That's not fair, the poor here work more for so much less, and it's time for this to stop. If wanting to share is bad, I suppose I'm evil.

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Definitely did not say that you were poor; if you're well off then good for you, no problems with that. There _are_ people who are poor because they are lazy, you can't deny that fact. There _are_ people who aren't putting their efforts into working and getting ahead of others. Laziness and apathy are key reasons why people remain poor, why people give up, and put little effort into their work. Mind you, I won't deny that there is income inequality - there is - but the rich should _not_ be blamed.

Have you ever wondered why CEOs earn more money than average workers? Have you ever wondered how much time and effort CEOs put in? They do more work than everyone else and usually outside of the 9 - 5 work day. They are maintaining a business to provide job opportunities for the average workers - in my mind, they deserve all the money they earn. To keep these businesses running, think of the stress, the pressure. The health problems that come from working this much. And what does the average worker do?

The rich _have_ been paying more, while the poor obviously _don't_ pay their equivalent.

And about the 10% of South Africans controlling 90% of the wealth and income... who are the 10%? What is their story? How did they get there?

Tl;dr - the amount of effort someone puts into their life results in what they get out of it, combined with their choices. It's NOT the riches fault, it's the whole system, and it's not as easy as taxing the rich even more. It's a far more complicated problem.

@Neon Your uncle reminds me of my dad. He came from a poor country(Cape verde islands) and came to America at the age of 19. He's been working since that age and doesn't show any signs of slowing down. He almost lost our house a few years ago, but he managed to get a new loan and kept the house. In all honestly, I respect my dad for all he's done, and I'm glad he didn't lose the house. It was really a tough time for our family as well because they're 7 siblings, and about 11-12 people living in our house - which means a lot of the bills are high.

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I can't imagine how strong your father was, @cpvr mentally especially, being able to support everyone; that requires a certain amount of dedication and perseverance. That's not something you hear or see normally, because many people end up giving up. Sometimes one bad news added to another really takes its toll on a person's determination. My uncle came from Taiwan and when he attended Stanford University he worked part-time to earn money for expenses, with more support from his family (my father) back in his homeland. My mom had 9 siblings and they were really, really poor, but she was determined to get into a public university (she studied 20 hours each day prior to exams) because she knew that if she didn't get in she would end up working, and she didn't want that.

VPL SupporterVPL Member

I'm pro-welfare system, I just think governments should work to provide jobs people want, not take money from their retirement funds, that's wrong.

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The government isn't taking money from their retirement funds for themselves. You don't have to go on unemployment, but I don't really think it's fair that those who don't have a job are allowed to be supported by those who do have a job for over two years. It makes more sense to have the people pay for their own unemployment when they can, rather than getting free money. Free money is never a good idea because while someone is getting something for free, someone is paying something with no return.

Administrator

I can't imagine how strong your father was, @cpvr mentally especially, being able to support everyone; that requires a certain amount of dedication and perseverance. That's not something you hear or see normally, because many people end up giving up. Sometimes one bad news added to another really takes its toll on a person's determination. My uncle came from Taiwan and when he attended Stanford University he worked part-time to earn money for expenses, with more support from his family (my father) back in his homeland. My mom had 9 siblings and they were really, really poor, but she was determined to get into a public university (she studied 20 hours each day prior to exams) because she knew that if she didn't get in she would end up working, and she didn't want that.

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Ya, and his job that he works for now wants him to go to Brazil - because they need a bilingual lead-man - which is the second in command next to the department's supervisor.

I admire him because its very hard to keep on pushing. I told him he should go to Brazil because it'll give him higher pay, and more time at work. He loves to work, and when he came to America, he went to school for a little bit. He basically said "Screw school, its not going to pay me to support my family", so he went out and found jobs. Then, when he started working for the oil company - about 15 years ago, his life was a lot better.

Some of our family members are mad at the fact that they're still in the projects, and we've moved out. But the fact is, a lot of them can't hold down jobs, and if they did, they always quit to go on vacation to Cape verde.

My dad works 12 hour shifts - and usually doesn't come home till about 6 45 PM everyday. And he still manages to cook dinner sometimes. I'm impressed by that because when I used to work those long hours, I just wanted to come home and crash out. He's also diabetic.

My mom used to be a bus driver as well, then her health turned bad - acid reflux, major stomach problems, etc. I kind of feel bad because I started having problems too relating to acid reflux. She had her gall-bladder removed while she was young and I recently got mine removed. My dad doesn't have those type of heath problems, but he does get acid reflux from time to time.

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